South Providence man accused of binding and raping 9-year-old relative_BINARY_1189031

Wednesday

Sep 11, 2013 at 11:57 AM

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A South Providence man is accused of repeatedly molesting a little girl -- including binding her with duct tape and raping her.

Amanda Milkovits Journal Staff Writer amandamilkovits

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- A South Providence man is accused of repeatedly molesting a little girl -- including binding her with duct tape and raping her.

Charles E. Pona, 55, was arrested Wednesday morning by the U.S. Marshals sex offender task force, who found him in his bug-infested bedroom at 60 Burnside St., across from the Mary E. Fogarty Elementary School.

A 9-year-old girl, who is a relative, said that Pona had been molesting her since Christmas 2011, according to a report by Providence Police Detective Christopher Rotella. She said she bit him the first time he attempted to molest her. The next time, she said, he pulled out a roll of duct tape and used it to hold her down, the report stated.

The girl told police that Pona attacked her several times, telling her she was "dirty," "ugly," and "fat," and that he'd take her away from her mother or kill her if she didn't comply. She said she'd tried to tell other relatives what was going on, but wasn't taken seriously, according to a police report.

The police were notified on Aug. 2, when the girl's mother brought her to Hasbro Children's Hospital. On Aug. 19, the girl spoke to authorities at the Day One Sexual Assault and Trauma Resource Center, and Rotella obtained an arrest warrant.

Police had searched different places for Pona when they got a tip Tuesday about his latest whereabouts.

Within hours of his arrest, Pona was arraigned at District Court and ordered held without bail on three counts of first-degree child molestation and two counts of second-degree child molestation.

The investigation is ongoing.

Editor's note: The suspect in this case is not the Charles E. Pona who is serving time in jail for the 2000 murder of Jennifer Rivera.